Marking system

ABSTRACT

A product marking system particularly for marking delicatessen or cheeses at a manned service counter for the purpose of displaying the identity or price of the product. The marking system includes a sign ( 4 ) that has a foot ( 41 ). A connecting element ( 2 ) is adapted to stably embrace the product ( 1 ) and to carry an attachment means ( 3 ) for releasable magnetic connection with the foot ( 41 ).

The present invention relates to a labelling system for marking theprice or the identity of products, such as delicatessen or cheeses at amanned service counter, said system including a foot-mounted label orsign.

One problem encountered when selling products such as cheese anddelicatessen for instance, particularly at manned service counters, isthat the products, for instance cheeses and sausages, must carry anappropriate label or sign that tells the customer the price and/or thename of the product concerned. It is also often necessary to remove thesign completely or move the sign and then return it to the product afterthe counter attendant has cut away a piece of the product requested bythe customer.

One type of known sign includes a needle that is stuck into the product.This type of price sign is now used to a much lesser extent and isforbidden in many parts of the world since foreign substances, forinstance harmful micro-organisms, can readily accompany the needle intothe product.

Instead, it has been necessary to use foot-mounted signs with the signstanding on the product concerned, said foot being made relatively heavyso that the center of gravity of the sign will be located in theproximity of the surface of the foot on which the sign is mounted. Thefoot may be shaped or capable of being shaped to ensure that the signwill rest stably on top of a non-planar surface, for instance on asausage. However, the shapes and slopes of the products vary greatly.U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,587 describes price signs of the aforesaid kind.Although the foot can be shaped, it is still necessary for the foot tobe shaped to the display position of the product concerned, and theshape or contours of the product will often vary after a piece of theproduct has been removed for sale.

One problem associated with such products is that they do not provide astable and unitary support for a moveable price sign that may not beaffixed to the product with the aid of a needle and which cannot beplaced adjacent the product for practical reasons.

One object of the invention is to provide a marking system which enablesthe sign to be readily placed firmly on the product concerned and to bereplaced thereon after having been moved temporarily from said product.

This object is achieved with a marking system according to theaccompanying claim 1.

Further embodiments of the invention are set forth in the dependentClaims.

According to one illustrative embodiment of the invention, an iron plateis encapsulated in an elastic band that embraces the product and holdsthe plate firmly there against. The foot of the price sign is providedwith a permanent magnet that connects the sign releasably to the foot.This enables the sign to be easily removed from the plate and replacedon the plate, even when said plate is inclined steeply to the horizontalplane. The elastic band carrying the plate can be easily moved along theproduct so as to enable pieces or slices to be cut from the product inaccordance with the customer's wishes. The elastic band carrying theplate can also be easily removed if cutting of the product should sorequire, and then replaced on the product. This avoids the introductionof contaminants inwardly of the outer surface of the product. Theskilled person will realise the other advantages that are afforded bythe invention.

The skilled person will also realise that the plate may consist of apermanent magnet while the foot of the sign consists of a thermomagneticmaterial.

The invention will now be described in more detail by way of examplewith reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a price marking system applied toa product.

FIG. 2 illustrates an alternative embodiment applied to a product.

FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the price marking system.

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the price marking system.

FIG. 5 illustrates a further variant of a device for anchoring one partof the releasable magnetic connection of the system to a product.

FIG. 1 illustrates a product 1 in the form of a sausage portion as atypical representative of the products or goods concerned. A sign 4 ismounted on the product 1. The sign 4 typically includes a foot plate 41which carries a frame 43 on which there is mounted a label 46 thatdisplays information 47 relating to the cost of the product or its priceper unit weight, together with other information 48 relating to theidentity of the product concerned, for instance.

A rubber band 2 carrying a plate 3 is stretched around the product 1.The plate 3 includes ferromagnetic material, for instance stainlesssteel, and the foot 41 of the sign includes a permanent magnet 13, sothat the sign will be supported stably by the plate 3 even should thecenter of gravity of the sign 4 lie outwardly of the horizontalprojection of the foot 41.

The releasable magnetic coupling between foot 41 and plate 3 can beeasily broken manually, so as to allow personnel on the manned servicecounter to cut away a piece of the product 1 in accordance with thecustomer's wishes. If necessary, the personnel can move the rubber band2 carrying said plate 3 along the product, or may remove the rubber bandand plate 3 completely prior to cutting said product, and then replacethe rubber band and plate 3 on the product. As indicated, the sign 4 canbe supported stably by the plate 3 even if the sign should slope steeplyrelative to the horizontal plane, so that the sign 4 will always beassociated with the product even should its orientation or position bedisturbed.

As will be understood, the rubber band 2 and the plate 3 may be providedas a disposable item that can be discarded when the whole of the product1 has been sold. The rubber band 2 constitutes a variant of a device forconnecting the plate 3 to the product 1, preferably releasably.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the plate 3 may alternatively be moulded in aplastic plate 23 that includes integrally therewith two elastichelically shaped and generally coaxial bands 21, 22 that extend inmutually opposite directions from the plate 23. The illustrate memoryshape of the bands 21, 22 conveniently has a diameter that is smallerthan the smallest product that shall be provided with the markingsystem, such that the bands 21, 22 will have an effective grippingfunction at least while the bands together embrace more than half thecircumference or perimeter of the product.

Naturally, the embodiment according to FIG. 2 may e modified to includeonly one helical band, this single helical band preferably beingdimensioned to embrace more than half the perimeter or circumference ofan anticipated largest product.

In another embodiment, one part of the magnetic coupling 3, 13 may becarried by an attachment 36, 37 which includes an end part 36 that formsa fitting for the part 3 or which encloses said part, and a pin or point37 which can be inserted into the product, for instance in an end partthereof, opposite to that end from which slices or pieces shall be cutfor sale, so that the attachment 36, 37 can remain seated in the product1 until essentially all of the product has been sold, withoutobstructing slicing of the product. The embodiment according to FIG. 3is made possible by the magnetic coupling 3, 13 that enables the sign 4to be easily removed temporarily whilst cutting the product and thensimply replaced on the attachment.

Although the part 3 is shown to be exposed in FIG. 3, it will beunderstood that said part can be fully embedded in the fitting 36.

The alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 4 also includes a permanentmagnet 13 embedded in the foot 41 and involves the use of aferromagnetic body 3 which has on one side a cover 5 whose exposedsurface 51 is adhesive for releasable attachment to a materialcompatible with the adhesive substance, for instance plastic foil,wrapping paper or the like; particularly product wrapping material.

As will be understood, the plate 3 of the FIG. 3 embodiment may, as analternative, include integral therewith a pin corresponding to theillustrated pin 37. The permanent magnet 13 is preferably provided inthe foot 41 of the sign 4 or forms the foot 41 itself, wherewith theattachment 3 is formed by or includes a ferromagnetic material 3 or apermanent magnet that is adapted to coact with the permanent magnet 13.The attachment 3 may, of course, include a permanent magnet and the foot41 include a ferromagnetic body if so desired.

FIG. 5 illustrates a further variant in which the plate 3 is carried bya fitting 36 that includes two oppositely curved and elastically springyarms 38 that can be caused to grip stably around the major part of thecircumference or perimeter of a product 1.

What is claimed is:
 1. A product marking system for displaying at leastone of an identity and price of a product, the marking system comprisinga connecting element (2) for connecting with said product, and a sign(4) connected to said connecting element, characterized in that the sign(4) includes a foot (41) which carries part of a magnetic coupling; andin that the connecting element (2) includes an attachment (3) whichcarries another part of the magnetic coupling, such as to enable thesign to be connected releasably to the attachment of said connectingelement (2), wherein the connecting element (2) includes a rubber bandwhich is adapted to embrace the product in a tensioned state so as tofirmly hold the attachment (3) to said product.
 2. A system according toclaim 1, wherein the product is one of delicatessen and cheese.
 3. Asystem according to claim 1, characterized in that one of the foot (41)and attachment (3) comprises ferromagnetic material and the other of thefoot (41) and attachment (3) comprises a permanent magnet.
 4. A systemaccording to claim 1, characterized in that the foot (41) and theattachment (3) are each provided with a permanent magnet for releasablemagnetic coupling of one to the other.
 5. A product marking system fordisplaying at least one of an identity and price of a product, themarking system comprising a connecting element (2) for connecting withsaid product, and a sign (4) connected to said connecting element,characterized in that the sign (4) includes a foot (41) which carriespart of a magnetic coupling; and in that the connecting element (2)includes an attachment (3) which carries another part of the magneticcoupling, such as to enable the sign to be connected releasably to theattachment of said connecting element, wherein the connecting element(2) includes at least one elongated elastic element (21, 22) that has amemory shape in which said elongated elastic element embraces theproduct at least partially.
 6. A system according to claim 5, whereinthe product is one of delicatessen and cheese.
 7. A system according toclaim 5, characterized in that one of the foot (41) and attachment (3)comprises ferromagnetic material and the other of the foot (41) andattachment (3) comprises a permanent magnet.
 8. A system according toclaim 5, characterized in that the foot (41) and the attachment (3) areeach provided with a permanent magnet for releasable magnetic couplingof one to the other.
 9. A system according to claim 5, characterized inthat said element (21, 22) has a generally helical shape.
 10. A systemaccording to claim 5, characterized in that the connecting element (2)includes two members (21, 22) that extend in generally oppositedirections so as together grip around at least a part of said product.